IN many Chinese households, tong sui, which translates to sugar water, is more than a dessert.
Families enjoy it on ordinary days or during celebrations – a sweet treat that nourishes both body and spirit.
Matriarchs take pride in stirring large pots of tong sui, adding ingredients believed to restore health, calm the mind and uplift the soul.
It was only natural that my father Dr A. Chandran, raised on her cooking, would later introduce us to his favourite Chinese desserts.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, our family dinners at the Coronation stalls (behind the former Coronation Cinema on Jalan Mersing) in Kluang, Johor, felt like special occasions – a welcome change from home‑cooked meals that defined most of our days.
After plates of hearty Chinese fare, we would end the evening with steaming bowls of tong sui, a ritual that became part of our family’s makan outings.
Tong sui comes in many forms – the thick, creamy walnut soup, velvety black sesame paste, red bean soup, green mung bean soup, bubur cha cha, mango sago, lin chee kang, guilinggao and countless others.
Tong sui can be savoured hot or cold, depending on what you choose.
At home, my mother Rose Melton leaned towards Malay‑style bubur, favouring the creaminess of coconut milk in bubur pulut hitam, bubur kacang hijau, pengat pisang or pengat durian.
Whether Chinese tong sui or Malay bubur, both traditions offered comfort and connection.
On a recent trip home, I made sweet potato ginger soup, a simple tong sui that feels especially comforting on rainy days.
Chunks of dual-coloured sweet potato in a warm, gingery broth is simply earthy and soothing.
Personally, I like adding a little extra ginger, for its gentle heat helps warm the body and invigorate the senses.
Tong sui, in all its variations, remains a bridge between generations and cultures, a reminder that sweetness can be found not only in taste, but also in the memories it carries.
Sweet potato ginger soup
Ingredients
Orange sweet potato (600g)
Purple sweet potato (600g)
3 slabs cane sugar (300g)
Fresh ginger (150g)
5 pandan leaves
3 litres water (or more if needed)
¼ tsp salt
Directions
Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly to remove any sand or mud before peeling off the skin.
Cut the orange and purple sweet potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Place in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.
Once done, remove from the steamer and set aside to cool down. This helps the sweet potatoes maintain their shape when added to the hot ginger syrup.
Slice fresh ginger into 1cm slices. Using a heavy chopper knife or pestle, lightly smash the ginger to break down its fibres and release maximum aroma and flavour.
Next prepare the syrup.
In a pot, dissolve three Chinese brown sugar slabs (pian tang) in two litres of water.
Add the smashed ginger.
Tie the pandan leaves into a knot, and tear the ends to release more fragrance. Pop into the pot and season with ¼ tsp salt.
Bring the mixture to a boil for about five minutes.
Then reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup thickens slightly and the ginger fully infuses the liquid with its flavour.
Stir in the steamed sweet potatoes, and add a litre of water or more to thin the soup.
Boil for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
